Bottle cap or seal.



L. BARTLETT.

BOTTLE CAP OR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. I913.

Rm 1 9 l 3 1 R p A d e t n .w 3 P tit) LEONARD BARTLETT, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 MATTHEW J. LYNCH, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

BOTTLE GAP 01R. SEAL.

meat.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. f3, 1945.

Application riled July 18, 1913. Serial No. 779,660.

.form a part of this specification.

Heretofore in the metallic caps used for sealing bottles the caps havebeen provided with a cork packing disk or washer which acts as a gasketto seal the connection between the bottle and the cap. It has proved tobe more or less of a problem to retain the cork disk or packing withinthe cap previous to the application thereof to a bottle. Heretoforesealing caps for bottles have only been capable of being engaged upon abottle of certain size, and in the event of irregularities occurring inthe contour of the bottle mouth, the caps fail to positively seal thesame.

This invention relates to an improved means for positively securing thecork disk in the cap in such a manner as to prevent removal of the corkWithout mutilating the same.

This invention also relates to means for sealing bottle mouths ofdifferent size within certain ranges, and also adapted to engage aroundthe entire surface of the bottle.

mouth, even though the contour thereof be irregular, thus efficientlysealing the same.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device equipped withintegral positively engaging retaining means for securing the cork orother packing material therein independent of adhesive.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a bottle cap struckinwardly at a plurality of points in the periphery thereof to engagewithin the body of the cork or packing between the inner and outersurfaces thereof. a

It is also an object of this invention to provide a bottle cap adaptedto be secured on bottles having sealing beads of different size, and toeffectually compensate for the irregularities in the shape thereof toefliciently seal the same.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide a fluted bottlecap seal, wherein the gripping flanges between the fluting thereof is ofvarying Width adapting certain portions of, or all of, said grippingflanges between said fiutings, to engage the bottle to retain the capthereon.

It is finally an object of this invention to provide an improved deviceof cheap,

simple, and durable construction, and capable of being attached to abottle by means of the usual or ordinary sealing means.

The invention (in a preferred form) con sists in the matters hereinaftermore" fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a central section showing a bottle sealedwith a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan viewthereof showing the same previous to attachment on a bottle. Fig. '3 isaside elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a vertical section takendiametrically through the cap and illustrating methods of securing the.cork within the cap. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6is a section on line 66 of Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings: The reference numeral 1, indicates a bottle towhich the sealing cap has been applied, said sealing cap comprising thetop 2, and downwardly extending substantially vertical wall or flange 3.The wall 3 is fluted at the points 4, and intermediate said fluting isflanged outwardly as shown at 5, said flange being of varying width,inasmuch as the line of fold in the wall 3, representing the inner edgeof said flange 5, extends diagonally between the fluted portions fromnear the lower end of one, to near the upper end of another adjacentthereto. Thus it is seen that the flange 5 is inclined and is joined atits ends to the adjacent fiuting 4, but is connected to the verticalwall 3, of the cap along a diagonal fold, thereby affording a flange ofvarying width.

The packing washer or cork insert is designated by the reference numeral6, and as shown in Fig. 4, is secured within the cap by different means,although one is suflicient for the purpose. One of said means forsecuring the cork insert in the cap consists in the integral strucktongue of metal 7, which is struck from the wall 3, leaving an aperturetherein, and is embedded in the cork insert between the inner and outerfaces thereof. The other retaining means for the cork insert consists ofthe portions of metal 8, which are indented from the outer walls of saidcap, inwardly, at a point adapting said indentures to engage over theouter surface of the cork insert or packing.'

The operation is as follows: When it is desired to secure the cork diskwithin the cap the cork is inserted therein and either one or both ofthe methods described, and consisting respectively in the inwardlystruck portions of metal 7 and 8, may be used. The feature of the devicewhich adapts it to compensate for inequalities or irregularities in thebottle bead, resides in the peculiarly angled flange 5, of varyingwidth. As is well known, the purpose of the fiuting in the periphery ofthe cap is merely to provide a contact point or engaging means for thesealing mechanism, which,

as it seals the cap upon the bottle, forces said fluting from thelaterally angled position shown in-Fig. 3, downwardly, to asubstantially vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the portion 5ofthe flange intermediate said fluting, being integrally connectedtherewith, is forced inwardly beneath the bottle bead, this serving toretain the cap in place. Of course, the line of inward bending of saidengaging flange-5, as it is forced beneath the bottle bead, is along theline of connection of said flange 5 with the side wall 3, of the bottlecap. In ordinary constructions such line of. connection is parallel tothe lower edge of the cap, and consequently the distance between the topof the cap and the inturned retaining flange at the bottom thereof, is aconstant quantity, and hence irregularities in the neck or looking ribof the bottle will prevent the cap from being properly secured at suchpoints. On the other hand, in this invention the distance between thetop of the bottle cap and the inwardlyfolded retaining flange, is avarying quantity afforded by the diagonal line of fold of the flange andthe side walls of the cap. Thus it is readily seen that the bottle beadwill be contacted by said inner folded and inclined flan e 5, at a pointon or withinthe diagonal line of fold thereof, dependent upon theparticular depth and shape of'the bottle bead at such points, and arelativel wide range of adaptability is thereby a orded.

The number of corrugations or flutings provided on the cap is a quantitydependent upon the degree orefficiency of retainment desired, and byusing fewer corrugations, the

. cap may be made from a smaller blank, thus economizing in metal and atthe same time affording a longer retaining flange between thecorrugations, and long retaining means for holding the packing disk.

I am aware that details of construction, as well as the arrangement ofsuch, are open to wide variation, without departing from the principlesof this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limitin the patentgranted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bottle seal, embodying a top, and a wall extending annularly fromthe edge of said top and formed integral therewith, said wall beingfluted at intervals, and said fluted portions being united by flangeswhose line of connection with said wall is at an angle to the loweredges of said flanges.

2. A bottle seal fluted outwardly around the periphery thereof, andretaining flanges adapted to be cngagedbeneath the bead of a bottle, theline of fold of said retaining flanges extending from near the lower endi of one of the flutings to near the upper end of an adjacent one,affording a varied distance between the retaining flanges and the top ofthe bottle seal.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed rny name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD BARTLETT.

Witnesses:

' LAWRENCE REIBSTEIN, LEoN M. RErBs rmN.

